


Danielle Stark - STRIKE Agent

by bellamouse16



Category: CAWS, Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Tony Stark's Daughter, prior to Captain America: Winter Solider timeline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2018-09-14 08:41:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9171424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellamouse16/pseuds/bellamouse16
Summary: Danielle Stark, known as Dani by most, is a new member of STRIKE.  The young former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent gets sent to STRIKE on orders by Fury.  Will Rumlow and the rest of the STRIKE team except their new member?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a new story that is not connected with any of my other stories. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani starts her new job as part of STRIKE and meets Brock Rumlow.

Dani walked past the front desk at the Triskelion, holding her ID card up for the guards to see.  She walked into the elevator.  As it rode up, she pulled her long chocolate brown hair into a tight pony tail.  She glanced at her reflection in the elevator doors.  She was on the shorter side, but always wore heeled boots or high heels.  She was extremely curvy with a tiny waist.  At 22 years-old, she was going to be one of the youngest S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, nonetheless, the youngest member of STRIKE.  As the doors opened, she was met with Director Fury waiting for her.

“Finally arrived, Agent Stark.”

“Well, I take after my father.  Always fashionably late.”

“Try not be next time, Agent.”

With that, Fury turned around, expecting Dani to follow him.  He led her into a conference rooms and gestured to a seat.  Dani dropped into the chair, crossing one leg over the other.  Just as Dani was about to say something sarcastic, Brock Rumlow waltzed into the room, barely sparing Dani a glance. 

“You called to see me, Director.”

“Rumlow, meet your new teammate on STRIKE.” 

Rumlow looked over at Dani.  She stood up and held out her hand. 

“And who might you be?” he asked with a smirk.

“Danielle Stark.”

Rumlow shook her hand.

“Tony’s daughter I’m guessing?”

“Yes,” Dani responded curtly. 

She’d been getting this all her life.  Depending on how the person felt about her father, each person reacted differently towards her.  There had been many boys who just wanted to meet Iron Man and many men who dismissed her achievements once they heard her last name.  She’d learned a long time ago to take advantage of them all.  If it weren’t for the fact her mother had always been absent from her life, she might have wished to take her mother’s last name.  But her father had been always there for her and she could hardly hold these people’s actions against him.  Besides, she was just as bad as her father on her good days.  She was constantly late, at times conceited, stubborn, and she knew how to wrap people around her finger almost as well as her father.  Just because she was like her father, didn’t mean she cared for people assuming she was a copy of him though.

“I’ll leave you two to go over everything.  Mission briefing tomorrow, Rumlow.  I expect the _entire_ team there.”

“Right, Director Fury.”

Rumlow stood there, critically looking Dani up and down as Fury walked out of the conference room.  She could tell there was slight skepticism over what she was truly capable of based on his facial expression alone. 

“I promise you, Agent Rumlow, I am just as capable as any other member of STRIKE,”

“Who said I didn’t think you were?” Rumlow asked gruffly with an eyebrow raised.

“Your expression.”

“One you’re familiar with, Stark?” he asked sarcastically.

“Very.  Just because my father is…”

Rumlow raised a hand, halting Dani’s words. 

“I don’t need the lecture.  I just look forward to seeing you prove it.  C’mon.  I need to see what your capable of before tomorrow’s briefing.”

Rumlow gestured for Dani to follow him as he walked out of the room and to the elevator.  The ride down to the gym were STRIKE worked out was silent, but nowhere near as uncomfortable as Dani thought it might be.  Part of her felt unnerved to have to defer to someone else.  For most of her life, Dani had been the person with the most power or money in the room, with the exclusion of her father of course.  The second they walked into the gym, the members of STRIKE stopped training and looked towards their captain. 

“Rumlow, who’s this,” one of the men closest to them asked.

“Men, this is Agent Danielle Stark.  She’ll be joining STRIKE on recommendation by Director Fury and Secretary Pierce.”

“Stark?” Rollins said with a huff of laughter.  “Like Tony Stark?”

Dani braced her shoulders and looked at him, her face stoic.

“Problem?”

Rollins shrugged.

“I don’t know if you’re really up for this sweetheart.”

“Well, why don’t I just show you.”

Rumlow put his hand on her shoulder, halting her.

“Rollins, in the ring.  I wanted to see what she can do anyways.  Go ahead Stark.  Show us your best.”

Rollins’ face twisted into a smirk as Dani waltzed over to the ring, not even fazed by the idea of fighting in her heels.  She bent low, going under the ropes.  Rumlow heard muttering from the guys beside him and one low whistle.  Once in the ring, Rollins came right at her, throwing a punch.  He looked cocky, but it quickly faded as Dani dodged his hit, grabbing his arm and tugging him forward.  Rollins smacked into the ropes, quickly turning around and recovering.  He lunged at Dani, getting in one hit to her shoulder before she brought up her knee towards his hip, knocking him from his stance.  She threw a punch towards his face, knocking into his jar.  She brought her hand around the back of his neck and used his moment of hesitation to pull him forward, knocking him onto the floor.  Before Rollins could recover, Dani dropped to the ground, locking his neck in her thighs and tugging his arm behind his back.

“How’s that for proving it, Rumlow.”

Rumlow smirked and stepping into the ring, holding his hand out to give her help with standing up.

“I guess that was a pretty good show and tell,” he joked. 

“And what about you, sweetheart?  Think I’m up for this?” Dani said to Rollins as she stood up and took Rumlow’s hand.

The rest of his men looked decently impressed with how quickly she put down Rollins.  Rollins lifted himself up from the ground, brushing off his slacks.

“Pretty good for a Stark,” he said with a kinder smirk than before. 

“Glad you thought so,” Dani said sarcastically. 

“Let’s get you a suit,” Rumlow interrupted their bickering. 

He led Dani to the locker room.  There were two sides, one for women and one for men.  He led her in since no one was changing. 

“Here’s your locker.  Suits are inside.  They’re all basically the same.  Figured you wouldn’t want to change with all the men.”

“Thanks,” Dani replied with a shrug.  “Wouldn’t have really cared much.  Nothing I haven’t seen before.”

Rumlow leaned against the locker and looked down at her.

“All part of being a Stark?”

“You could say that.”

“You make it sound like a hardship.”

Dani scoffed.

“I’d hardly call any of it a hardship.”

Rumlow continued to study her.  He wasn’t entirely sure what to think of her yet.  She was different, but part of him couldn’t help but put it down to her being Tony Stark’s daughter.  He could only imagine what she might’ve seen growing up.  He’d heard that where Tony spent every waking hour in his lab, she spent the same amount of time working for S.H.I.E.L.D. and doing physical training.  Yet, he’d seen magazine covers and coverage on trashy celebrity shows of Dani partying as hard as she was said to work.  He’d heard the ridiculous exaggeration that she was born with a drink in her hand.  As far as her mannerism so far, she seemed like her father, but Rumlow wasn’t about to make assumptions or be fooled by first impressions.  He wasn’t about to put much stock into her outfit, a low-cut dry-fit long sleeve top, skinny jeans that clung to her thighs, and black heels.  Or the fact she looked impeccable, even after her little sparring session with Rollins. 

“Has anyone shown you where your apartment is?”

It was required for all STRIKE members to live on the premises between missions.  So far, no one had told Dani where she was staying, although someone had delivered her belongings there prior to her meeting with Fury and Rumlow.

“Not yet.”

“I’ll bring you there, so you can settle in.”

“Thanks.”

Dani was slightly taken aback by Rumlow’s attitude towards her.  He’d been far nicer than she’d heard he was from S.H.I.E.L.D. agents when she was training.  She’d heard stories of him practically terrorizing recruits, but so far, he’d been almost kind in his treatment towards her.  The two of them carefully watched one another as Rumlow led Dani to her room, which happened to be right across from his own.  He had a feeling it wasn’t a coincidence.

“Here, we are.”

“Thanks, Rumlow.”

“Call me Brock.”

Dani nodded and smiled as she opened her door.

“Alright.”

“See you tomorrow, Stark.”

“Call me Dani,” she mimicked back to him with a smirk.

She thought she saw Brock genuinely smile before he smirked again.

“Night, Dani.”

With that, he turned around and walked down the hall.  He probably had a late-night meet or something Dani thought to herself while she locked her door.  She decided her best bet would be trying to go to sleep early.  She’d need the extra rest if tomorrow was going to be her first mission. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Comments are always appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani goes on her first mission and Brock learns something new about her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is slightly longer than usual and there is one curse word. Enjoy!

Dani walked into the briefing room.  Brock was the only one there so far.  As she sat down, he watched her carefully. 

“Sleep alright?”

“Yep.  You?”

“You could say that,” he replied with a smirk. 

Dani couldn’t help but find herself blushing slightly.  She’d been hit on by countless men and dated more than she could count, but this felt slightly different.  Maybe it was because she wasn’t the one with the power, or because of the type of man Brock was.  She could feel herself flush under the heat of Brock’s gaze.  They both turned quickly towards the doorway when they heard a low whistle.

“Damn, Stark,” Rollins said with a wink.  “Looking good.”

Brock’s face hardened.  Dani merely rolled her eyes. 

“Sorry, but you’ll have to do better than that.”

“Well, I like a challenge…”

“Cut it out and sit down, Rollins,” Fury said as he walked into the room.  “Now, here’s your assignment…”

Brock glanced over at Dani while Fury told them their assignment to infiltrate a Hydra base and recover a file of information.  He’d already heard this mission from Pierce.  They were recovering the data someone had let slip to a secondary group of Hydra that the higher ups didn’t want getting spread about just yet.  He let his mind slip to more dangerous waters, like Dani.  She’d walked into the room with such an air of confidence.  Rumlow didn’t need to know Dani was a Stark to understand where her confidence came from.  Her outfit was different from Brock’s and the rest of the men, slightly reminiscent of Natasha Romanov’s spandex suit.  It clung to her in all the right ways, curving with her body so perfectly.  Like a cherry on top, Dani hadn’t zippered it all the way up, not that she probably could.  That zipper looked like it would burst if she took too big of a breath.

“Alright, that’s it.  I expect to see a mission report on my desk the second you get back.”

Fury directed the last bit to Brock before gesturing for them all to leave.

“Alright,” Brock stated as he stood up.  “Let’s get going.”

 

\----------

 

From Fury’s briefing, they hadn’t been expecting so many Hydra agents to be at the base when they infiltrated it.  Only four of them went it.  As half of the team went further in to get the information, Brock and Dani stayed back to make sure more agents weren’t able to sneak up behind them.  The two stood quietly, watching the entrances.  They heard a soft rumbling. 

“Hear that?”

“You take lead, I’ve got your back,” Brock said as they hid behind desks. 

The door bursts open and the Hydra agents stalked in.  As they got closer, Dani and Brock began to shoot.  One made his way towards Dani, lunging at her.  She dodged his hit and wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling him past her.  As he stumbled forward, she pulled a knife from her belt and pulled his head back to expose his neck and slit it with no hesitation.  Brock incapacitated the agent attacking him and turned to see Dani throw her knife between the eyes of the next agent lunging towards her.  A new group of agents broke in and Dani was quick to pull her rifle over her shoulder, hitting agents with every shot she took.  They took a second to breathe once they realized no more agents were bursting through the entrances. 

“You’re not one to hesitate, are you?”

“I don’t think this is the best time to,” Dani answered with a straight face.

Rollins and another man on the team walked towards them.

“Mission accomplished.”

“Good,” Brock said.  “Let’s go.”

 

\----------

 

Brock walked through the halls, nodding to his men before walking into the gym.  He hadn’t seen Dani since they returned to the Triskelion.  If he was being honest with himself, he was slightly surprised by how little she hesitated.  Even when he’d just been starting, there were moments when he hesitated to even wound someone, but she’d not only didn’t hesitate with that, Dani didn’t hesitate to slit a man’s throat.  It wasn’t that he’d assumed she would hesitate.  Rumlow was merely used to agents trying to put someone down by wounding them first rather than killing the enemy.  Kill shots every time were not just unexpected, but also unrealistic.  Although, Rumlow had to admit, he liked it better the way Dani handled it.  It made for no witnesses, which was always easier.  Dani’s skill and ease were making Brock wonder more about her background.  What was her story?  There had to be more underneath her gorgeous looks and quick mouth.  He walked into the gym and raised an eyebrow when he heard a gun go off.  He made his way towards the target practice, leaning in the doorway when he spotted Dani.  Every shot she took hit her target with incredible precision.  Rumlow took a moment to study her stance, the way she didn’t flinch with the kick back from the gun, the way her hands wrapped around the gun.  Just as he was going to make his presence known, Dani spun on heels, leveling the gun at him.  Brock quickly raised his hands in innocence. 

“You were the only one I couldn’t find after the mission.  Didn’t know anyone would be back here.”

Dani lowered the gun slowly. 

“Sorry.  Didn’t know who it was.”

“Hoped as much.  Don’t think I remember doing anything to warrant getting shot in the face for.”

She turned back to the targets and started shooting again.  A kill shot every single time.  She stopped when she ran out of bullets and removed the empty magazine.  As she started to clean the gun, Brock spoke.

“Why did you join SHEILD?  And why move to STRIKE?”

“Lost faith in humanity?”

“That a question or a statemen?”

Brock raised an eyebrow skeptically.  Dani sighed as if she could see his facial reaction and turned towards Brock. 

“I’m being honest.  When my father was taken hostage, I learned three lessons.  The world is a horrible place.  I didn’t want to feel that helpless every again.  And most people are crappy.”

“And S.H.I.E.L.D. was the first choice?”

“To be honest, the personal trainers my father hired just weren’t cutting it.  I had too much frustration pent up and I wanted to actually make an impact.”

“Makes sense.  Why transfer to STRIKE?”

Dani smirked slightly.

“To be honest, I heard there were less rules.”

After seeing her in action, her reply wasn’t that surprising to Brock.

“What, did you get in trouble at S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

Dani turned back to her gun as she finished cleaning it and began to dissemble it. 

“You could say that.”

“Yeah?”

“I think the term they used was ‘trigger happy’.”

Brock watched her silently before he spoke again.

“So, you said Stark’s kidnapping tipped you off.  Did you ever want revenge?”

Dani didn’t respond until she finished putting the gun away.

“The second I knew what happened to my father, I wanted to kill the people responsible.  I wanted them to hurt.  To feel the pain I felt when I thought my father was dead.  He’s all I have.  And later, after he came back, that desire never left.  Things like that change people.  You don’t live through something like that and go back to partying away your inheritance without a second thought about what’s going on in the world.  It’s not just them anymore though.  This world is filled with people who do bad things.  People who do nothing but cause pain and harm others.  And it’s not just “avenging” like my father does.  I wanted it to be more than that and I knew I couldn’t do that as just another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.”

“Like what?” Brock prodded.  He stalked towards her, boxing her in against the gun locker.  “What couldn’t you do with them?”

“I want to stop people before they can cause harm,” she said coldly.  “Mercy can’t be given out the way the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. give it to their enemies.  None of them deserve a second chance.”

 

\----------

 

A few days passed until the group went on another mission.  This time, Dani was given a sniper and positioned so she could shoot down any Hydra agents sent as backup.  The location was smaller and there was a larger potential for causalities inside the building if the agents were to make it inside.  Brock knew she’d be the best choice after seeing her in action and training.  Rollins stood by the window, watching to see if any backup agents were making it into the building. 

“Damn…”

Brock glanced over to Rollins, who happened to be gaping as he looked out the window. 

“What is it?”

“Every single one…” Rollins muttered.

“Your gonna have to be more specific,” Brock said curtly.

“Stark’s a sharpshooter, that’s for sure.”

Brock wondered towards one of the windows, glancing outside quickly.  Down on the street, Hydra agents were sprawled across the ground.  Pools of blood painting the streets a glossy red.

 

\----------

 

Brock walked into Fury’s office, his field report in hand.  He placed it onto Fury’s desk, but rather than walking away like he normally would, he stopped and stood in front of the desk. 

“Need something, Agent Rumlow?”

“Agent Stark is…”

“Volatile?”

Brock sat down in the chair opposite Fury’s desk.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“That wasn’t the word I’d use.”

“That what is?”

Brock shook his head.

“I’m not exactly sure.”

“It’s hard to notice when she’s not in action, isn’t it?”

“Not unless she’s talking,” Brock muttered as he thought it over.

“She can be a bit… strong with her words.  It wasn’t clear at first in S.H.I.E.L.D., but she had a bit of a ruthless streak.  She never once went for incapacitation.  She always went for the kill.”

Brock looked up, his eyes widening a bit as he locked eyes with Fury.

“So, you knew,” Brock asked bluntly. 

Fury sighed slightly.

“At the end of the day, we need someone who’s willing to have blood on their hands.”

“And how much blood is on her hands?”

Fury raised an eyebrow at Brock’s curiosity and constant questioning.

“Wouldn’t know.  We lost count.”

 

\----------

 

“You asked to see me, sir?”

Brock stood by the doorway to Pierce’s office.  After his meeting with Fury, Brock had gotten a call saying Pierce expected to see him at his office as soon as possible.

“Yes, come in.”

Brock stood in front of Pierce’s desk until the man gestured for him to sit down. 

“How’s Stark been during missions?”

Brock began to tell Pierce of her performance during the last two missions.  When he finished, Pierce looked at him, as if he was asking for more intel.  After a second of hesitation, Brock included his discussion with her in the gym.  Pierce listened intently and leaned back when Brock finished his account.

“She’s a perfect fit.”

Brock knew Pierce was talking about Hydra without him having to say it directly.  Lately, Pierce was worried about ease droppers, so he was vague when they spoke within the Triskelion. 

“I want her part of this.  Find out more about her though.  She is Stark’s daughter.”

Brock hesitated slightly, but nodded.

“Alright, sir.”

“Good.  You can leave.”

 

\----------

 

Brock paced back and forth in his room as he thought over his plan.  He would just go over there, and ask her out to dinner.  Easy as that.  Part of him was hesitant.  Not because he didn’t want to do it.  There was something about Danielle that made him want to ask her out, aside from the fact she was stunning.  He just didn’t want to get to know her because it was his job to do so.  Brock finally stopped pacing and walked out of his apartment, crossing the hallway to knock on her door.

“Brock?  What do you need?”

Dani tilted her head slightly as she looked at Brock.

“Would you like to do out to dinner?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! As always, comments are appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani gives Rumlow an answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I hope everyone reading this has stuck around. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

“I’m sorry, but no.”  Dani watched as Brock’s face fall slightly.  “I’ve seen my father date women he has to see every day.  He might never care, but I always saw the way other people treated them.  They were the ones to screw the boss.  I’m not here for you to sleep with Brock.”

“Dani, I didn’t mean it that way…”

“It’s fine.  I’ll see you tomorrow, Rumlow.”

Dani shut the door, leaving Brock standing in slight shock in the hallway.  He hadn’t seen that coming.

 

\-----------

 

Dani walked into the training room early the next morning.  She hoped Brock and her could just act like yesterday never happened. 

“Morning,” Brock said as she walked over the mats to start stretching.

“You need help with that,” Davis asked with a wink.

Dani scoffed.  She was just about to shoot back a retort when a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent walked in.

“Stark, Secretary Pierce wants to see you.”

Dani shot Brock a look to see if he knew what Pierce wanted with her, but his expression remained blank as he pretended not to notice the look she shot at him.  Dani sighed and made her way to Pierce’s office.  When she got there, she knocked.

“Come in.”

She rolled back her shoulders before entering, closing the door behind her.

“Sir.”

“Please sit, Agent Stark.”

“Thank you,” she murmured as she sat and crossed her legs.

“I hear you’re fitting into STRIKE quite well.”

“Well, I’m certainly trying my best to.”

Pierce grinned at her.  Part of Dani was felt slightly uneasy sitting across from Pierce.  She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something about him made her question why he decided to take the job he had, just like Rumlow had done with her.

“Right.  Let’s get to what I called you here for.  If you knew someone might hurt someone, or kill people, what would you do?”

Dani paused for a moment, watching Pierce lean back in his chair and lightly tap his fingers on the desk.  She was never one to hold back her thoughts, so why start now.

“I’d stop them.”

“And if it wasn’t a certainty?”

“But I knew they would eventually do something?” Dani’s brows scrunched in confusion.

“One day.  Not necessarily today, or tomorrow, or the next day, maybe not even in a month or a year, but one day.”

“Then I’d stop them before they could hurt anyone.  I don’t care if I’m a decade early.  I do what I do because I want the world to be safe, regardless of what has to be done.”

A smile slowly grew on Pierce’s face as he leaned forward, clearly liking Dani’s answer. 

“That’s what I like to hear, Agent.  There’s more people here who think like you; they agree those who are a danger to society should be locked up and put down before they can do wrong.”

Pierce stood up, walking around his desk to lean on the front of it. 

“There’s a project.  Very few know about it.  High clearance and all.  It’s going to do just that, but I like to know who’s working under me.”  Pierce paused for a moment, taking the time to study Dani.  “I’ve got a little something on the low, few are in on it, but most guys on STRIKE are.  Now that I know you’re just as committed to this as I first thought you were, what would you say about joining too?”

“Sir, what exactly is it?”

“Preventing crimes before they can ever be made.  What do you say, Agent Stark?  I need an answer.”

“Then yes.  I’d like to help, Secretary Pierce.”

“Great answer, Agent Stark.  Great answer.  You can leave then, Agent.  Consider yourself one of the team though.  I expect it goes without saying everything said about this remains with you.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Good.  I’ll see you soon.”

Dani nodded and left his office.  She went back down to the gym, wondering what exactly she’d just signed up for.  When she went back down, she noticed most of the guys had already left for breakfast.  She began wrapping her hands to box when she noticed Rumlow leaning in against a workout machine. 

“What did Pierce want?”

Dani sat down and focused on wrapping her hands. 

“Just wanted to ask a few questions.  You know, the usual, like fitting in and what not.”

Rumlow hummed to himself and walked over, stopping right in front of Dani.  She sat his shoes in her field of vision. 

“I know what he talked about.  I know what he asked you.”

Dani glanced up.  Brock knelt, placing a hand over Dani’s, halting her actions. 

“You can talk to me about it.”

“He said not to say anything…”

“I’m an exception.  I promise you.”

Dani hesitated before speaking.

“What is it then?  What are we part of?  If we’re stopping the bad guys before they hurt people, then why does it have to be such as secret?”

“Sometimes you gotta keep things quiet to prevent the wrong people from getting wind.  There’s people out there who don’t agree with us.  They think it’s too extreme.  A lot of the Avengers for example.”

“You mean my father.”

“You can’t tell him.”

Dani nodded.  She understood that was implied when Pierce said everything said was to stay between them.

“You can talk to me, though.  I’m here for you, Dani.”

Dani looked up, locking eyes with Brock.  For a second, his eyes softened. 

“Screw it.”

Brock was confused for a split second, but it faded the moment Dani locked lips with him.  He quickly wrapped a hand around her neck, gaining leverage over her.  His other hand gripped her thighs, pulling her body towards him.  Dani wrapped her thighs around his waist.  Brock stood up, pulling her as close as possible to him.  He carried her towards one of the back rooms of the gym, kicking the door closed with his foot.  Dani’s back slammed against the wall.  Brock placed one hand behind her, holding her up against the wall. 

“You sure you wanna do this, Dani?”

Brock murmured as he trailed kisses down her throat and fumbled with his belt.

“Hell yes.”

Brock grunted, adjusting so he could pull his pants down.  Dani fumbled with her own, struggling with how skin tight they wore.  She’d finally tugged them down when the two of them heard voices in the gym.

“Rumlow!  You in here?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Dani groaned.

Brock groaned.

“Maybe if we’re quiet they’ll leave?” Dani said with a smirk as Brock put her down and started pulling up his pants.

“I doubt it,” he grumbled and waited till Dani was decent.  “I’ll go out then you.  Anyone asks, I was giving you some pointers.”

He opened the door and shut it quickly.  Dani let out a sigh, slumping against the wall.  So much for turning him down.  She just jumped him.  She waited a few moments before walking out of the room, waltzing through the gym like she had nothing to hide. 

“Hey, Stark.  Where you going?  You been down here long?” One of the guys on the team asked while Brock and Rollins were sitting by.

“Hey.  Yeah, I’m gonna hit some targets.  See you guys later.”

She continued walking by, only halting when Brock called out.

“Stark.  I need to brief you on some info for tomorrow’s mission.  Swing by my apartment if you get a chance.”

Dani nodded. 

“Got it, Rumlow.”

The rest of the day passed relatively quickly.  After target practice, Dani had lunch and then went to box like she’d planned to before everything happened with Rumlow.  After, she went back up to her apartment and took a shower.  She pulled on some leggings and a lowcut top before deciding to head over to Rumlow’s apartment like he’d asked her to.  She had a feeling it wasn’t going to be a meeting about information though.  She walked over, knocking on his door.  The door swung open, showing Rumlow standing there in his usual clothing. 

“You sure are eager, aren’t you?”

“I’m just here for a quick briefing, Brock.  You know me, I’ve got plans.”

“Oh, do you?  You planning on sleeping with Rollins?  Or was it Pierce? Maybe your meeting wasn’t what I thought it was.”

“Funny.”

“Come in, then.  For briefing, obviously.”

Dani walked in, shutting the door behind her.  She followed Brock.  He leaned against the doorway to his bedroom.

“So, no briefing?  Cause I’ll be seriously disappointed…”

Brock cut her off, pulling her into his body.  Hs kissed her, gaining access to her mouth as she let out a gasp.  Brock pulled Dani into his room, tugging them both down onto his bed.   He made quick work of getting them both disrobed this time.  Dani ran her hands through his hair as she settled on top of him. 

“Oh, Brock…”

Dani’s back arched as he entered her.  Brock’s teeth bit down into her neck, tugging and sucking.  As she orgasmed, Dani couldn’t help but think she was going down a rough and troublesome path.  She fell onto the bed next to Brock.  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders when she turned.

“What?”

“Stay the night.”

Dani looked at Brock, trying to figure out what the look in his eyes meant.  She’d seen men look at her in many ways, but this wasn’t one she was too familiar with. 

“Okay…”

Brock pulled her into a kiss and kept his arm wrapped around her, trapping her against his body.  Dani watched as he shut his eyes, falling to sleep beside her.  She didn’t just think this would turn out badly, she knew it was going to end badly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, comments are appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani finds out the truth or at least part of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Hope you all enjoy the new chapter!

It had been a week since Dani and Brock slept together and she continued to spend every night in Brock’s bed.  Since her discussion with Pierce, she hadn’t heard anything thing about what he told her.  She would have thought the conversation never happened to begin with if it weren’t for the fact the missions had changed slightly.  The briefings had become nearly non-existence.  Brock would meet with Pierce and come back to tell the team they were leaving.  He’d give out jobs, leaving out why they were doing something or any details that they should typically have been told.  They were all just expected to go along with the plan – something they didn’t really know or understand.  They were supposed to follow commands. That was that.  To be honest, it kept Dani up at nights.  Like right now, she was laying next to Brock and she just couldn’t fall asleep.  At the back of her mind, there was the constant worry that something was wrong.  The issue was, she didn’t know what was wrong.  Was it the lack of specifics?  Or that the commands were coming from Brock, almost as if only he were trusted with the details.  If that was so, why? Why weren’t the rest of them trusted too?  Last time Dani checked, they were all on the same team.  Everyone on a team should have each other’s’ backs.  That’s how it worked… yet that clearly wasn’t true with STRIKE.   Dani tried to stop thinking so much, turning onto her side.  She was starting to feel trapped against Brock as his arm wound around her stomach.  As carefully as she could, she slipped out of his grasp.  She couldn’t stand just laying there anymore.  She slipped on her clothes and carefully left his apartment, shutting the door behind her as carefully as she could; she didn’t want to wake him and deal with any questions as to why she was pulling a disappearing act.  She crept back to her room, shutting the door behind her.  She let out a sigh once she locked the door and knew she was in the clear.  She walked over to the window, looking out at the river next to the Triskelion.  It would be a long night.

Dani ended up falling asleep for a few hours on the couch in her living room.  She didn’t have anything she had to do until the late afternoon, so she lingered around her room, sleeping in longer than she normally would and taking a relaxing shower.  When Brock texted her, asking where she was, she lied, saying she was resting because of a strain in a muscle from something she did the day before.  He easily accepted the lie, just telling her to be ready for their mission that afternoon.  Around lunch time, she heard a knock on her door.  She sighed, hoping it wouldn’t be Brock, although she knew there really wasn’t anyone else it might be.  To her surprise, she opened the door to see Fury standing there, waiting for her.

“Director, what are you doing here?” she asked, perplexed by the situation.

“I know a nice place for lunch.”

He gestured for her to follow him, which Dani quickly did once she locker her door.  Fury didn’t say anything until they got to a dinner.  He told her to wait outside and after a few minutes, he walked out with two sandwiches for them.  He led them to a park after that and sat down on a bench.  Dani, still perplexed, sat down beside him and took the sandwich he held out to her.  She took a bite, thinking over what she should say.

“Not that this isn’t a good sandwich, but this isn’t exactly what I had in mind when you said you knew a place for lunch.”

Fury gestured around them.

“There’s eyes and ears everywhere.  Just not many here.”

His comment piqued her interest.  She glanced at him from the side, one eyebrow raised. 

“Is there a reason we need to be somewhere no one can listen in?”

“Maybe,” Fury said noncommittedly.  “I’d prefer certain groups didn’t hear this.  You know Hydra, they’re always listening, even at S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“Director, what do you mean?  Hydra is at the Triskelion?”

“You know most of them yourself.”

“You’re kidding me.”

Fury glanced at her.

“Do you think I kid?”

“No sir, but…”

“Not everyone is who they say they are. You should know that.”

Dani nodded, looking down at her sandwich.

“STRIKE?”

“Yes.  I wouldn’t doubt it if Pierce hasn’t already come to you about it.”

Dani nodded, now understanding the partially confusing conversation with Pierce and Brock.  Is that why she couldn’t tell anyone?  Or why he was never direct with anything?  Was that why Brock was now running the team as if people were listening in and no one could be trusted?  Fury seemed to pick up on her internal thoughts and struggle.

“Said you couldn’t tell anyone, right?  Maybe Rumlow comforted you afterwards if you were confused?”

Dani thoughtlessly nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak.  So, what they were was nothing but a sham.  Thank god she heard this from Fury before she could fall for Brock any more than she already did, although it still hurt at this point. 

“God, I’m an idiot.  Here I thought he was different than how people described him.”

Fury shrugged.

“You never know.  Double agents can be fickle.  Maybe some of it was true.”

Dani shook her head.  She didn’t want to talk about this.

“You brought me out here for a reason, and it definitely wasn’t to talk about my relationship status with Rumlow.”

“You’re right, it wasn’t.  I need you to be my eyes.”

“You mean…”

“Yeah, I want you to go along with what they do and report back to me.”

Fury placed an old looking phone into Dani’s lap. 

“You can use this phone.  I’ll text you for updates.  If anything happens you think I should know, tell me.  Don’t hesitate.  I’d rather being getting updates on everything from your lunch to how much you lifted at the gym than get nothing at all.  You understand?”

Dani nodded, taking the phone and slipping it into the waistband of her pants. 

“Yes, sir.”

They finished eating their lunch quietly.  Once they were finished and just sitting their silently, Dani spoke up.  Could feel their lunch was about to end and needed to ask this before the moment escaped her.

“Was I chosen for S.T.R.I.K.E. because of my history?  Did Hydra think I’d be easier to sway because of it?  Or did they just want a connection to Tony?”

“I wouldn’t know, Stark.  Your guess is as good as mine, but those both seem plausible.”

Dani nodded, letting the realization sink in.  She felt a rush of anger with a tinge of fear flood her system.  She had no idea how she’d continue here, but she’d need to figure it out quick.

\----------

After Dani came back from lunch with Fury, she slipped into the gym, acting like nothing was different.  They had the day off, so a few guys, including Brock, were there training.  A half an hour into her workout, Dani felt her phone vibrate.  She was startled for a second, worried it might be the one Fury gave her, but then she realized it was own phone and it was Tony calling.  Dani quickly got up, slipping out of the room.  She could practically feel Brock’s eyes burning into her.  She accepted the call.

“Can you give me a moment.”

“Dani…”

“Give me a second,” she repeated, cutting Tony off.

Dani found the quickest way out of the building.  Once she was far away enough, Dani brought her phone back up to her ear.

“You still there?”

“Are you going to explain why you’re keeping me waiting?”

Dani sighed.  She had no idea what she should say, what she _could_ say.

“Just finding somewhere I can talk.”

She heard a pause on the line.

“Alright, I blocked your line.  Say whatever you couldn’t say before or I’m showing up in the next hour.”

“Tony,” Dani tried to sound annoyed, but she also felt incredibly relieved.

“We both know I’m not joking.”

“This job isn’t what I thought it would be,” Dani spoke carefully, still unsure what was safe to say.

If Fury was telling the truth, then she would need to be weary of what she said, regardless of where she was.

“Well, now you’ve got my attention.  Is this a boy’s club thing or…”

“No,” Dani cut him off.  “I talked to Fury… S.T.R.I.K.E. isn’t what it seems it is, Tony.  None of it is.”

Tony seemed to be moving tuff around on the other end of the line.

“Do I need to pull some strings and get you out?”

“No, no, I… I have to stay… It’ll be fine.”

“You’re sure?”

She could hear the hesitation and concern in his voice.

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

Dani heard her father sigh.

“The moment its not fine, you call me.  And don’t think I won’t be keeping tabs.”

“I would expect nothing less from you.”

With that, Dani hung up.  She slipped her phone back into her pocket.  She needed to figure out what the hell she was going to do now.  Dani knew she had to go back into building, but she needed a moment alone.  She knew what she needed to do.  She needed to go back there and pretend nothing was wrong and go along with everything, reporting back to Fury along the way.  But knowing what she had to do and actually doing it were two different things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments are appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Hopefully, I'll be posting a new chapter soon since I'm on Winter Break now. Comments are always appreciated.


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